Both church and non-church members came together to help raise donations for a project which provides the essential stationery needed for education in third world countries.

David Clout, 74, of Watling Knoll in Radlett, came up with the project three years ago when he learnt about the Mary Meals Backpack Project.

Following up to the 150th anniversary of the founding of Christ Church in Radlett, the parish has been collecting items to fill backpacks to send to the project.

Mr Clout said: “I thought this would be a brilliant way for our church to do something to help and it was a great way to celebrate the 150th anniversary.

“I didn’t think it was going to take off but I had people ringing me up who weren’t part of the church asking about the project.

“In the end we had around 75 backpacks. It was a church initiative but it was the people of Radlett who filled the backpacks.

“It is definitely something we can think about doing again. My wife was happy to see our floor in the living room clear again.”

Mary’s Meals is a charity that first helped areas in Africa to set up schools but it found that children were not learning because they were going to school hungry.

The charity began providing a maize based porridge however they then discovered the children did not have the necessary stationery needed for learning.

The Backpack Project was set up where people filled backpacks with items such as pens, notepads, pencils, crayons and other essential stationery.

Christ Church and St John’s received support and donations not only from members of the congregation but also from St John’s Infant and Nursery School, Fairfield Junior School, Rexton Nursery and members of the community.

Mr Clout said: “We were given thousands of pens and other stationery equipment but I realised we did not have enough flip flops which the children wear to and from school.

“People were finding it difficult to get hold of them so I ran out to Primark as it was the only place I could find them.

“The number of backpacks then started building up. I went down to the church and the whole table and underneath were filled with boxes.”

Mr Clout expressed his gratitude to everyone who had supported them through the donations from packets of pencils to filled backpacks.